Why should I *not* use the KOMA-Script classes?

I can think only of two reason not to use the KOMA-classes:

  1. That you have a deadline and do not have the time to handle the problems involved with switching to another class.

  2. That someone requires that you use another class (e.g. via a template).


If you want to profit from KOMA-Script's added functionality, but are used to the "look and feel" (width/height of the text area, headings font/fontsize, header/footer etc.) of the standard classes, there's no straightforward class option to switch back to the standard layout. (In a sense, this is only consequential as one aim of KOMA-Script is to provide a typographically sound layout). Still, that's not a reason to shy away from KOMA-Script; the following settings produce a layout similar to that of the standard classes.

\documentclass[10pt,chapterprefix=true]{scrbook}

\areaset{345pt}{550pt}

\setkomafont{disposition}{\normalfont\bfseries}
\addtokomafont{chapterprefix}{\huge}
\addtokomafont{chapter}{\Huge}

\renewcommand*{\chapterheadstartvskip}{\vspace*{50pt}}
\renewcommand*{\chapterheadendvskip}{\vspace{40pt}}

\usepackage{etoolbox}

\makeatletter
\patchcmd{\@@makechapterhead}{.5\baselineskip}{20\p@}{}{}
\makeatother

\usepackage[markuppercase]{scrpage2}
\clearscrheadfoot
\ohead{\pagemark}
\ihead{\headmark}
\cfoot[\pagemark]{}
\pagestyle{scrheadings}

\usepackage{lipsum}

\begin{document}

\chapter{foo}

\section{foobar}

\lipsum[1-12]

\end{document}

There simply is no reason to not use KOMA.

Let me elaborate it a bit further: I am not aware of any KOMA-specific reason to not use KOMA, besides the "standard reasons", most of which have been mentioned in the other answers. I call them "standard reasons", because they basically hold for any class or package X:

  • If you use X and get used to its features it will be hard to go back (because it is different).
  • You collaborator may not like X (because it is different).
  • You might have to invest some time to use X (because it is different).
  • You may not like X (because it is different).

Yes, KOMA is a bit different. That is the reason to use it.

Tags:

Koma Script

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